HOF, Post-Skills tix on sale Sat.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass./HERSHEY, Pa. … The American Hockey League and Hershey Bears announced today that tickets for the two additional events taking place during the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Capital BlueCross will go on sale Saturday, December 4, at the conclusion of the Bears’ game at Giant Center.

The 2011 AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony will take place at the Hershey Theatre on Monday, January 31, at 11 a.m., when the American Hockey League Hall of Fame Class of 2011 – Mitch Lamoureux, Harry Pidhirny, Maurice Podoloff and Larry Wilson – will officially be enshrined. AHL Hall of Famer Bruce Boudreau, former head coach of the Hershey Bears and now bench boss of the Washington Capitals, will be the keynote speaker at the event, and AHL graduate and 2008 Foster Hewitt Award winner Mike Emrick will serve as master of ceremonies.

The Post-Skills Party will be held at the Hershey Lodge on Sunday, January 30, from 6-10 p.m. The party will feature a tailgate theme while viewing the NHL All-Star Game, with a buffet-style menu of food and drinks.

Ticket packages including these two events are priced at $75 and can be purchased immediately following the Dec. 4 Bears game at the Giant Center box office or by calling (717) 534-3911. Availability is very limited, and there is a six-ticket limit per person.

In addition, an exclusive All-Star Classic VIP package has been announced. The VIP package is priced at $199 and includes Club Section tickets, parking vouchers for the Skills Competition and All-Star Game and a meal voucher for the All-Star Game, as well as tickets for the Post-Skills Party and the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony and a gift bag. Only 50 packages are available, and they will also go on sale Saturday evening post-game.

Tickets for the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Capital BlueCross – which include admission to both the 2011 AHL All-Star Skills Competition at 3 p.m. on Sunday, January 30, and the 2011 AHL All-Star Game at 7 p.m. on Monday, January 31 – are nearly sold out. Contact the Giant Center box office at 717-534-3911 for information.

The 2011 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Capital BlueCross in Hershey will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League, competing in the AHL All-Star Skills Competition and the AHL All-Star Game, a two-day event to be televised nationally in the United States and Canada. Of the 528 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 93 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including Patrice Bergeron, Dan Boyle, Daniel Briere, Dustin Byfuglien, Brian Campbell, Zdeno Chara, Eric Fehr, Miikka Kiprusoff, Kari Lehtonen, Ryan Miller, Zach Parise, Bobby Ryan, Martin St. Louis, Jason Spezza, Eric Staal and Tomas Vokoun.